HVAC Repair in Utica, NY
Homes here need heat from September through May and cooling from July through August. If your system quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Oneida County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Nine months of heat, two of cooling, and not much rest in between
Your furnace runs from September through May here. On the coldest nights, when the temperature drops to 15°F, it's cycling on and off for hours, and every start puts wear on the igniter and the burner. That's the part that tends to fail first, usually on the coldest night of the year, because that's when it's working hardest.
Come July and August, the air conditioner takes over, and afternoons near 78°F push the compressor and coil hard for those two months. Then the wind picks up. Oneida County has seen 195 damaging wind events and 57 winter storms in the past ten years, and storms mean power loss. Most furnaces and air conditioners come back on their own once power returns, but if yours doesn't restart, that's worth a call before you assume the worst.
- 9 months
- September through May, your system heats
- 2 months
- July through August, it cools
- 15°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 78°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
A new furnace and air conditioner would cut about $200 a year off heating and cooling for a typical Oneida County home.
Estimates for a typical Oneida County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, New York fuel prices and NOAA climate normals. Your home will differ.
Repair makes sense when one part has failed.
Replacement makes sense when the furnace's heat exchanger is cracked, the air conditioner's compressor has failed, or repairs keep coming.
- Why is my heat not working?
- Start with the thermostat. Make sure it is set to heat and the temperature is set above the room temperature, since a setting bumped by accident is more common than people think. If the thermostat looks right, check the breaker for the furnace and, if you have a gas furnace, make sure the switch that looks like a light switch near the unit hasn't been turned off. At 15°F on a winter night here, a furnace that won't start needs attention fast, so if power and settings check out, that points to something like an igniter or flame sensor that a contractor needs to look at.
- Why is my system running but not cooling the house?
- Check the air filter first. A filter clogged with dust blocks airflow across the coil, and when that happens the coil can ice up and blow warm air even though the system is running. Check the thermostat is set to cool, not fan only, since fan only just circulates air without cooling it. If the filter is clean and the thermostat is set right, the refrigerant charge or the outdoor unit itself needs a contractor to check it, especially on a hot afternoon when the system is working hardest.
- What can I check before calling for HVAC repair?
- Check the thermostat settings and batteries first, since a dead battery or a setting changed by accident causes more no-heat and no-cool calls than people expect. Check the breaker box for a tripped breaker and the furnace's power switch if you have one. Check the air filter and replace it if it's dirty, since restricted airflow causes both heating and cooling problems. If the outdoor unit is covered in leaves or debris, clear the area around it. After a storm, check that the outdoor unit wasn't hit by branches or debris. If everything checks out and the system still isn't working, a contractor will need to diagnose it further.